Device for excavating a shaft

ABSTRACT

A device for excavating a shaft in which a suction line extends between a mining tool and a single intermediate storage container. During the continuous operation of the mining tool, the intermediate storage chamber can be filled via the suction line to a predetermined filling level, and when said level is reached, in the event of a lack of pressure in the suction line, an ejector door can be opened to fill at least one of the conveyor containers. Based on the arrangement of the opening area of the suction line in the immediate vicinity of the mining tool, the degraded material produced when there is no pressure in the suction line can be easily evacuated after restarting the suction line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application based on International Application No. PCT/EP2013/071167 filed Oct. 10, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for excavating a shaft.

2. Description of the Related Art

One known device is disclosed in GB 2 158 129 A. The prior device for excavating a shaft comprises a cutting tool for excavating material at the shaft bottom, as the deepest region of the shaft, and is equipped with a conveying means disposed in the operating area of the cutting tool and operative to convey the material excavated at the shaft bottom to a transfer station comprising a single intermediate storage container. There is also a hauling means in the form of a hauling container, by means of which the excavated material from the intermediate storage container can be hauled away toward a shaft opening located oppositely from the shaft bottom. In the prior device, the conveying means is embodied as a conveyor belt equipped with receiving containers, which is active while the cutting tool is operating.

Known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,264 is a device for excavating a shaft that has a cutting tool adapted to excavate material along a conical surface on both sides of the shaft bottom, as the deepest region of the shaft. This prior device is also equipped with a conveying means, which is disposed in the shaft bottom centrally to the cutting tool and comprises a suction line, which is connected to an exhaust blower and through which the excavated material can be transferred to a single intermediate storage container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device by means of which continuous excavation operations can be ensured even when excavated material is being hauled away discontinuously from a single intermediate storage container.

By virtue of the fact that in the device according to the invention, the conveying means comprises a suction line and is provided with an exhaust blower connected to the suction line and operative to generate an air current directed from the shaft bottom into the intermediate storage container, the cutting tool can be operated continuously even when the conveying means is intermittently deactivated in order to empty the single intermediate storage container. After the conveying means is reactivated, excavated material that has accumulated in the meantime can simply be conveyed away with newly excavated material as soon as the conveying means, with the cutting tool, returns to excavation areas that were being worked while the conveying means was idle.

In one form thereof, the present invention provides a device for excavating a shaft, including a cutting tool for excavating material at a shaft bottom, including conveying means disposed in the operating area of the cutting tool and operative to convey material excavated at the shaft bottom away to a transfer station including a single intermediate storage container, and including hauling means for hauling excavated material away from the intermediate storage container, characterized in that the conveying means comprise a suction line and are provided with an exhaust blower that is connected to the suction line and operates to generate an air current directed from the shaft bottom into the intermediate storage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, comprising a hauling container that is loaded from a single intermediate storage container at a filling position;

FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 with the intermediate storage container in a plan view;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in the region of the intermediate storage container and the hauling container during the loading of the hauling container;

FIG. 4 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, comprising two hauling containers that can be loaded from the single intermediate storage container at two filling positions;

FIG. 5 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4 in a plan view of the intermediate storage container during the loading of the one hauling container; and

FIG. 6 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4 in a plan view of the intermediate storage container during the loading of the second hauling container.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a shaft 1 extending in a vertical direction, showing an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention. The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 comprises a rotatable and pivotable milling arm 2 of a cutting tool, which arm is equipped at a free end with a milling drum 3 of the cutting tool. By means of the milling drum 3, material can be excavated from a shaft bottom 4, as the deepest region of the shaft 1. The milling arm 2 also carries a suction funnel 5 belonging to conveying means and disposed immediately adjacent the milling drum 3. Connected to the suction funnel 5 is a suction line 6 of the conveying means, which extends away from the suction funnel 5 and opens into a suction tank 7, as a first intermediate storage container of a transfer station.

It can also be seen from the depiction of FIG. 1 that the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an advance drill 8, which is disposed in the vicinity of the milling arm 2 and can be used, for example, to drill sounding holes into the shaft bottom 4. Located in the mounting region of the milling arm 2 and of the advance drill 8 is an excavation chamber catwalk 9, which is provided with a dust shield 10 on its side facing away from the milling arm 2. The dust shield 10 has a number of dust shield stabilizer plates 11, which bear radially outwardly against a shaft wall 12 of the shaft 1 and thus delimit an excavation space 13 extending between the shaft bottom 4 and the dust shield 10.

Disposed on the side of the dust shield 10 facing away from the milling arm 2 is a supporting column 14 that is part of a machine frame, and that is accessible from the outside and contains all the feed and discharge lines for the dust shield 10 and the excavation space 13, and gives access to the advance drill 8, together with an anchor drill 15 that can be used to set anchors in the shaft wall 12.

Disposed on the side of the control room 14 facing away from the dust shield 10 is a shaft-bottom-end shaft platform 16, which is suspended from a number of support cables 17. The support cables 17 extend away from the shaft-bottom-end shaft platform 16, on the side thereof facing away from the milling arm 2, toward the shaft opening 18. On its side facing away from the milling arm 2, the shaft-bottom-end shaft platform 16 supports a number of intermediate shaft platforms 19 and a shaft-opening-end shaft platform 20.

In the region of the shaft-opening-end shaft platform 20, the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 comprises stabilizers 21 that can be pressed against the shaft wall 12 to stabilize the device according to the invention. In this embodiment, an intermediate shaft platform 19 carries the suction container 7 and a dust filter 22 of the conveying means, which filter is connected via a connecting line 23 to the suction container 7. Also connected to the dust filter 22 is a connecting line 24 that is connected to an exhaust blower 25 of the conveying means. Material removed from the shaft bottom 4 via the suction line 6 while the exhaust blower 25 is operating can thus be conveyed via the suction line 6 into the suction container 7.

The suction container 7 has a pivoting discharge flap 26 at its end facing the milling arm 2. Also present in the region of the discharge flap 26 is an extendable telescopic chute 27, via which material that is conveyed into the suction container 7 when the discharge flap 26 is open can be transferred into a hauling container 28 of hauling means. Attached to the hauling container 28 is a hauling cable 29 of the hauling means, by means of which the hauling container 28 can be moved toward the shaft opening 18 and back to the suction container 7.

FIG. 2 illustrates the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in the region of the suction container 7, looking toward the shaft bottom 4. FIG. 2 shows particularly clearly how the telescopic chute 27, in an extended position, reaches from the suction container 7 to the hauling container 28 so the hauling container 28 can be filled with the material brought into the suction container 7 via the suction line 6.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1; in the schematic depiction of FIG. 3, the discharge flap 26 is shown in the open position and the telescopic chute 27 in the extended position for filling the hauling container 28 with excavated material.

The operation of the device according to the invention proceeds as follows. The milling drum 3 is continuously active, excavating material at the shaft bottom 4. When the exhaust blower 25 is operating, material excavated by the milling drum 3 is conveyed via the suction line 6 into the suction container 7, the discharge flap 26 being closed. When a given fill level is reached in the suction container 7, the exhaust blower 25 is switched off. With the suction container 7 under ambient pressure, the discharge flap 26 is then opened, causing a hauling container 28 disposed at the end of the telescopic chute 27 remote from the suction container 7 to be filled with the excavated material. The discharge flap 26 is then closed again and the exhaust blower 25 is restarted, while the hauling container 28 is moved toward the shaft opening 18. Material already excavated and newly excavated at the shaft bottom 4 during the continuous operation of the milling drum 3 is then again conveyed via the suction line 6 into the suction container 7 until the suction container 7 is once again filled to the predetermined fill level and an empty hauling container 28 is disposed ready for loading at the end of the telescopic chute 27.

In this way, material excavated in a continuous excavating operation can be discontinuously conveyed and hauled away.

FIG. 4 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, it being noted that like elements in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 and the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 are provided with the same reference numerals and will not all be described in more detail below, to avoid repetition. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, in deviation from the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, has two hauling containers 28, each suspended from a respective hauling cable 29. To alternately fill the two hauling containers 28, a pivoting chute 30 is disposed on the suction container 7 and can be oriented to fill one hauling container 28 at a time.

FIG. 5 is a depiction similar to FIG. 2 of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, with the pivoting chute 30 oriented to fill one of the hauling containers 28.

FIG. 6 is a depiction similar to FIG. 2 of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, with the pivoting chute 30 oriented to fill the other hauling container 28.

The operation of the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6 is such that the two hauling containers 28 are disposed alternately at the suction container 7, thus permitting shorter cycle times for emptying the suction container 7 than with the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims. 

1-4. (canceled)
 5. A device for excavating a shaft, comprising: a cutting tool for excavating material at a bottom of the shaft; a conveyor disposed proximate an operating area of the cutting tool, said conveyor operable to convey material excavated at the shaft bottom to a transfer station including an intermediate storage container, said conveyor including a suction line and an exhaust blower connected to said suction line, said exhaust blower operable to generate an air current directed from the shaft bottom into said intermediate storage container; and a hauling assembly operable to haul excavated material away from said intermediate storage container.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein said conveyor further comprises a dust filter disposed upstream of said exhaust blower in a direction of flow of the air current.
 7. The device of claim 5, wherein said hauling assembly includes a single hauling container.
 8. The device of claim 6, wherein said hauling assembly includes a single hauling container.
 9. The device of claim 5, wherein said hauling assembly includes two hauling containers and a pivoting chute connected at one end thereof to said intermediate storage container, said pivoting chute alternatingly orientable toward each of said hauling containers.
 10. The device of claim 6, wherein said hauling assembly includes two hauling containers and a pivoting chute connected at one end thereof to said intermediate storage container, said pivoting chute alternatingly orientable toward each of said hauling containers. 